Hundreds of Chicago activists, teachers, parents and others who said they were concerned about police brutality gathered Thursday night in Daley Plaza as part of what was billed as a national moment of silence.

Chanting phrases like “black lives matter” and “no justice, no peace,” many in the youthful crowd held signs with the names of people shot and killed by police officers written on them. The event comes as activists nationwide are rallying in response to Sunday’s fatal police shooting of an unarmed man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo.

Speakers and organizers with the Black Youth Project spoke emotionally and sometimes tearfully about what they see as injustice by law enforcement and other institutions against African-Americans.

“I don’t care what color you are: green, red, purple, brown, you don’t deserve to get your life taken by the state, ever, by nobody,” said London, 21, adding later: “These dangerous … stereotypes that persist in this country is the reason why black young people are killed by police officers.”

Another organizer, Rachel Jackson, 23, who said she is a third grade teacher in Chicago, said the type of violence and injustice she witnesses against racial minorities makes her scared for the kids in her classroom.

Those gathered also observed four minutes of silence, during which many in the crowd stood holding hands with their arms raised into the air. The four minutes, London said, represented one minute for each hour Brown’s body was reportedly left on the sidewalk after he was shot.

Many in the crowd, like Corbin Adams, said they’d heard about the event on Twitter or Facebook and, feeling a personal connection to what happened in Missouri, wanted to come out.

“I feel personally like it could happen to me, it could happen to one of my friends,” said Adams, 27, adding that he’s already had experiences where law enforcement stopped and searched his car for no reason.

“I want those things to stop,” said Adams, an insurance broker in the Loop, who suggested better diversity training and just getting “to know each other” could alleviate racial biases.

Many at the gathering said they have been affected by gun violence, including Kiana Knox, 23. Knox said attending was a way to show support for Brown’s family but also to make a social statement.

“It’s not going to be swept under the rug and we’re not going to let it happen,” said Knox about unwarranted brutality. “It’s a matter of making our voices heard and saying that we’re not going to let this continue to happen. It has to stop somewhere.”